hellebore

[ hel-uh-bawr, -bohr ]

/ ˈhɛl əˌbɔr, -ˌboʊr /

noun

any of several plants of the genus Helleborus, of the buttercup family, having basal leaves and clusters of flowers, especially H. niger, the Christmas rose.

any of various plants of the genus Veratrum.Compare false hellebore.

any of several poisonous or medicinal substances obtained from these plants.

Nearby words

hellbox, hellbroth, hellcat, helldiver, helle, hellebore, helleborein, helleborin, helleborine, hellen, hellene

Origin of hellebore

1555–65; < Greek helléboros; replacing earlier ellebor(e), Middle English el(l)bre, etc. < Latin elleborus < Greek

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for hellebore

Hellebore, however, is a dangerous remedy on account of its poisonous qualities.
The $100 Prize Essay on the Cultivation of the Potato; and How to Cook the Potato|D. H. Compton and Pierre Blot
Lucian humorously degrades him from the character of a hero, and gives him hellebore as a madman.
Trips to the Moon|Lucian
It is frankly offensive in its character, and its young juices deadly as any hellebore that ever grew.
The Land of Little Rain|Mary Austin
Him, too, Simplex recognized by the hellebore he was munching.
Pretty Michal|Mr Jkai

The best remedies for these pests are: first, prevention, by spraying with hellebore wash, which I have found most useful.
Roses and Rose Growing|Rose Georgina Kingsley

British Dictionary definitions for hellebore

hellebore

/ (ˈhɛlɪˌbɔː) /

noun

any plant of the Eurasian ranunculaceous genus Helleborus, esp H. niger (black hellebore), typically having showy flowers and poisonous partsSee also Christmas rose

any of various liliaceous plants of the N temperate genus Veratrum, esp V. album, that have greenish flowers and yield alkaloids used in the treatment of heart disease

Word Origin for hellebore

C14: from Greek helleboros, of uncertain origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for hellebore

hellebore

late 14c., from Old French ellebore, from Latin elleborus, from Greek helleboros, perhaps meaning "plant eaten by fawns," from Greek ellos/hellos "fawn" + bora "food of beasts," from bibroskein "to eat," from PIE root *gwere- "to swallow." Among the ancients, the name given to various plants of both poisonous and medicinal qualities, reputed to cure madness.